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DACA FAQs

What is DACA?

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an executive order issued in 2012 by then President Barack Obama. It provides administrative relief from federal deportation laws and employment authorization to certain qualifying undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children before June 15, 2007. In September 2016, President Donald Trump rescinded DACA, asking Congress to take legislative action before DACA renewals expire in March 2018.

What were the previous guidelines for granting DACA?

Individuals could apply for DACA if they:

Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;

Came to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday;

Have continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;

Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making their request for consideration of deferred action with USCIS;

Had no lawful status on June 15, 2012;

Are currently in school, have graduated, or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and

Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.

I am an undocumented student with DACA status. Do I need to submit a FAFSA?

No, the FAFSA is not required for undocumented students — with or without DACA status.

Do I need DACA status to apply to Eastern as an undocumented student?

We review applications from undocumented students with or without DACA status.

I am an undocumented student and want to apply to Eastern; how does the application process work?

Eastern accepts students regardless of their citizenship/immigration status, based on the same admissions standards that are applied to all applicants. There are certain requirements that need to be met to qualify for in-state tuition. Check “Services for Applicants” to determine if you meet these requirements.Do I qualify for work-study as an undocumented student?

Undocumented students demonstrating financial need are eligible for non-federal work-study jobs on campus. Undocumented students with employment authorization also may be able to find on and off campus employment.

Am I eligible for financial aid at Eastern?

Unfortunately, undocumented students are not eligible for federal or state financial aid. Students are encouraged to meet with our Financial Aid Office to review scholarship resources, some of which do not have citizenship/immigration status restrictions.

Is Eastern a “sanctuary campus”?

The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System (CSCU) has refrained from using the term “sanctuary” to describe its campuses, as sanctuary is a concept that has a broad range of meaning. CSCU does not have the power or ability to declare any “sanctuary” site that is exempt from federal or state law. Members of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, however, are considered to be “sensitive locations” as described in the 2011 U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) policy. As a sensitive location, the grounds of our campuses should not be the focus of enforcement actions. However, as public spaces are open to the general public, Eastern does not have the authority to bar federal enforcement officers from Eastern’s public spaces.

Will Eastern release my information to immigration authorities?

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) all students are entitled to privacy regardless of immigration status. Education records, which are broadly defined as records related to a student and maintained by the institution, cannot generally be disclosed without a judicial warrant, subpoena, court order or student consent. CSCU institutions shall continue to uphold FERPA and deny requests for student information that are not accompanied with a judicial warrant, court ordered subpoena, or student consent.

It is important to note that FERPA designates certain information contained in a student’s record as “directory information.” FERPA grants the University the right to disclose “directory information” to anyone, without consent from the student. If you would like to withhold your directory information, please contact the Registrar’s Office.